Valley of the Sun YMCA

For over 75 years, Arizona YMCA Youth and Government has provided middle and high school youth throughout Arizona with an experiential learning program that models the state's legislature and courts. The program offers participants from across the state the opportunity to collaborate with others and build essential skills such as critical thinking, persuasive public speaking, writing, and research. Youth and Government is deeply rooted in the YMCA’s core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility and serves as a platform for social responsibility, servant leadership, and personal development. Our goal is to nurture the next generation of civically engaged Arizonans, ensuring they recognize the importance of: Civic Knowledge: Delegates begin to understand Arizona's Legislative and Judicial processes' structure, function, and procedures. Civic Awareness: Delegates learn to identify the major issues facing their communities. Civic Action: Delegates become equipped with the tools they’ll need to make change in their communities and can identify the importance of mutual respect, personal responsibility, and active listening in group settings. The 78th Model Legislature & Court will bring together more than 300 youth participants representing delegations across Arizona. Delegates will participate in weekly local delegation meetings, and the program will include multiple conferences, culminating in a December conference in Phoenix where delegates put their training into action as they assume their given roles. Legislation is debated, and court cases are decided as teens apply the skills they have gained in the program!